The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-11-24
GOVERNMENTAL.
What is Going on IN the State De-
partments.
An Epitome OF What Was
Learned at the Capitol
From Fridays Daily. !


ance Cooperative association; capita
stock, $4,000.
Twenty cast iron columns, thirty-eigh
feet in length, two feet nine inches il
diameter and weighing five tons each, cas-
at the Rusk penitentiary, for the dome O.
the capitol to support the outside balcony
have been rejected by the commissioners
because of extra weight. The contrac
called for Is thickness when they are
found to be an inch and quarter. These
columns are said to have cost the state
$500 each, and if the state has to lose
them it will make loss of $4,000.
Commissioner Hall yesterday celebra
ted his thirty-sixth birth day and also the
seventh anniversary of his marriage. He
gave quiet dinner to a few personal
friends in honor of the double event.
General G. T. Beauregard was tele
graphed to to come here and examine
the capitol dome. A reply was received
from him yesterday afternoon stating
that he could not come, but recommend
ing Mr.. Ferret, the United States super.
vising architect who is now in New
Orleans.
Professor Baldwin, of the Sam Houston
Normal institute, writes to Professor
Cooper that there are 25S pupils in at
tendance, 43 more than any previous
year, He says the facilities for work have
been greatly increased by the additions tC
the buildings, apparatus and library.
Comptroller's deposits yesterday were
$4,000.
In the meeting of the board of educa
ton, evening before last, when the report
of the regents was read, and that part
making recommendations was heard, Gov.
ernor Ross is said to have expressed him.
self in pretty plain terms about the pro-
gressiveness of the report. The document
submits three recommendations:
First-That special committee be APP
pointed to take charge of the University
funds. As a matter of fact, Commits
sioner Hall put Mr.. Williams, one
of his best men, upon this identical work
some three or four months ago, and he
has been engaged ever since in the work
of classifying and looking after these
lands. Second-That the attorney general
be urged to take steps to collect the over
due interest on land notes. The
attorney general has already served
notice on each and every one of the de-
faulters, and if they do not show up within
the time limited he will proceed in the
courts to collect and forfeit.
Third-To press the claim of the
University for the land in dispute in Nc
Lehman county.
Governor Ross, when q member of the
senate of the seventeenth legislature, got
bill through authorizing the governor
to appoint special counsel to bring suit
Loh of DO b 10 / s,I 4
Governor Roberts appointed Messrs.
Clark and Dyer, of Waco, and they have
brought the suit against General Mexia,
the opposing claimant, in the United
States district court at Waco.
From Saturdays Da ily.l
The charter of the Alvord and North
Texas Fair association was filed here yes
terday. Capital, $4,000.
The capital board has not yet selected
an architect TO inspect the capitol dome.
Colonel Casey, of Washington, and Colo
mel Freret, of New Orleans, telegraph that
they cannot come on account of their
government duties. Colonel Freret re-
commends Capt. Geo. B. Post, and the
governor has telegraphed to that gentle
man on the subject. If competent man
is not secured shortly the board will prob
ably have the construction go on under
the plans suggested by the capitol com
missioners.
The comptroller received $3.50 yester-
day from Bexar county.
Treasury receipts amounted to $2,322
for account of the general fund.
Governor Ross COMMITTED the sentence
of Sampson Barres, sent to the peniten-
tiary for thirty years for murder, COM
mitted in Montague county. The i'm
prisonment is reduced to twelve years,
which time the prisoner has about served
already. Executive clemency was recon-
mended in Barres' behalf by the district
judge, district attorney and citizens of
his county, and quite favorably, also, by
the penitentiary officials. He did the
pattern work for the iron columns cast at
the Rusk penitentiary for the capitol, and
has been noted for his generally good
conduct in prison. His health is wrecked
by consumption, and, in the opinion of
the physician, he cannot live long.
The governor appointed Hon. H. g..
Robertson special judge to try the case of
W. Fl. Patterson VS.. W. H. Hickok ct al,
pen ling in the district court at Dallas.
From Sundays Daily
Governor Ross received reply yester-
day from Architect Bell, of Washington,
that he could not come here to inspect
the capitol dome till December, and could
not state his terms till he came. No
answer has been received from Captain
Post. Thus the selection of an architect
hangs in suspense.
Information received here in official
quarters shows that the bandits infesting
the Rio Grande are being holly pursued
and hard pressed by the Texas rangers,
ard the Mexican authorities acting in
conjunction.
The most noted criminals of the
gang have been killed or captured, and
the remaining outlaws scattered. The
friendly cooperation of the Mexican and
Texas authorities for the speedy suppress
sion of this outlawry, gives promise of a
better state of affairs along the Rio
Grande than has existed for years.
1t transpires, in regard to the cast iron
columns for the capitol dome, that the
architects specifications call for three
eighths of an inch in thickness, and that
castings of the diameter and length spaci-
fed cannot be cast so thin as three eighths
of an inch, Mr.. Wilkie, the capitol con-
tractor, probably knowing this fact, con-
tracted with the penitentiary board for
the columns as cast to be three quarters
of an inch thick and to weigh not over
five tons each. AS they thus accord with